Corner-fastener for frames.



G. w. 130m CORNER FASTEIEB 1'01 mm. APPLIOATIOi FILED IE}! 13 1.01

1 mm Jan. 5, 1909.

: mus-41in: 1.

To all whom it may concern: I Be it known that I, GEORGE W. Bowna's,

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE wnownns, or SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR or ONE-.HALFTQOZRVILLE T. CURTIS, or WOBURN, MASSACHUSETTS.

- coannn-ms'rnnnn non rams.

of Somerville, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, haveinvented an Improvement inCorner-Fasteners for Frames, of

' which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings curing thecomer-fasteners to the frame,

representing like .parts.

At the present time large wooden frames are used in tanneries, patentleather factories and like places for holdi stretching and otherwisetreating skins. hese frames are made large enough to support a whole ora half hide. The half hi e size is approximately 11 ft. x 4 ft. 4 Theframes, with the skins thereon, are carried from lace to place, are putin hotovens, and are aid out of doors in the sun, and as a result ofmuch handling often get broken at the corners.

This invention has for its object to provide such large unwieldy frameswith improved corner -.ocking and strengthening means, whereby they areespecially well a' 'a tedto withstand the rough usage to which t v eyare subjected. Also to provide means for sewhich are connected with thebars composing the frame and which act. to draw said bars toward eachother, into the corner-fasteners, until the mitered-ends thereof abut.Also to provide means for securing the coma-fasteners to the frame,which is adjustable, to provide fortightening the parts in case ofshrinkage of the bars composing the frame.

Figure 1, shows in front elevation one of the corner portions of a framehaving corner- 7 locking means embodying this invention.

Fig. 2, is an edge view of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is asection of the corner-suporting means taken on the dotted line 33, ig.2. Fig.4 is a detail showing the end of one of the frame-bars. Fig. 5 isa view of the blank which is used in forming the comersupport. Fig.6 isa front view of a complete frameembodying this invention.

The framels 'uadrangular. and consists of several bars 41, mitered attheir ends and abutted together to form a miter-j oint. The frame isprovided at each corner with a corner-fastener embodying this invention.The corner-fastener herein shown consists of a metallic blank ofsuitable shape which is struck up and bent to form two frame-engagingportions a, a, disposed at right angles to Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed September 13,1007. Burialitakflfifi'l.

Patented Jan. 5, I909.

each other, or such other angle as may propt' e erly conform to theshape of'the corner of frame, each portion having a pair of sideflanges-b, '1), adapted to overlie the opposite sides of the frame-barswhen. the corner-fastener is adjusted thereon, and each portion alsohaving at or near its extremity a air of arms 0, c, and c c which alsooverlie t e o posite sides of the frame-bars. Gneach si e' of theframe-bars the arms 0, and c extend toward each other, in a diagonaldirection with respect to the frame-bars, and said arms are provided attheir ends with interlocking portions, which engage each other to lockthe two arms together. The interlocking ends on said arms, as hereinshown, conslst o tailed projectlons c, 0, formed on the exdovetremitiesof the arms 0, c, and dovetailed recesses c 0 formed at the extremitiesof the arms a, c, which are adapted to receive the dovetailedprojections on' the arms a, c.- The arms a, c, and c c of. the twoframe-'enga ing ortions, when interlocked, are also prei era'by brazed,welded or otherwise secured to insure a rigid connection.

The interlocked arms at opposite sides of the frame-bars, constitute apair of connecting-bars which connect the frame-engagin portions of the*cornerefastener together an securely hold them in fixed relativepositions.

.The metallic blank, when struck u formed into the form ofcorner-fastener in shown, hasalso a flattened corner (I which for ashort distance, and is herein shown as transversely arranged withrespect to the bar, but it may be otherwise arranged.

A plate It 's provided at each corner of the frame, which extends frombarjto bar, and as herein shown, both ends of said plate are bent at aslight angle with respect to its intermediate ortion to enter thenotches i in the bars. ach plate has a hole throu hit, in line with thehole through the mitere corner :of the frame, for the bolt e.

In the triangular space provided between 110 the plate 7:. and theframe-bars a small trianlar block 9 of wood is or may be placed living ahole through it for the bolt e. As the nut on the bolt e is turned upthe trianular frame-engaging portion an late h are awn toward eachother, and t e frameengaging portion is drawn into firm engagement withthe corner of the frame and the frame-engaging bars are moved towardeach 10 other until the mitered ends thereof firmly abut together. Asthe parts are thus drawn together the opposite ends of the plate h slideinto the notches in the frame-bars more and more, but said notches aremade so deep that the ends of said plate will not quite engage thebottoms thereof when the mitered ends of the frame-bars arefirmlyabutted together, so that in case said bars should afterwards shrink,they may be again moved toward each other by further turning up saidnut.

The corner-fastener herein shown is therefore adjustable to compensatefor shrinkage of the frame-bars.

I do not desire to limit my invention to the employment of acorner-fastener formed of a sheet metal blank, or to any specific shapeof blank, as many other forms might be em ployed to embody my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A corner-fastener for frames, consistingof a metallic blank bent to form two frame- 5 engaging portions disposedat right angles to each other, each havlng a pair of arms rovided withinterlocking ends, the arms 0 the two portions extending toward eachother and when interlocked forming connecting 0 bars which secure thetwo portions together,

substantially as described.

2., A corner-support for frames consisting of a metallic blank bent toform two frameengagin portions disposed at right angles to each ot er,each portion having a pair of flanges adapted to overlie the frame, andeach portion having a pair of arms rovided with interlocking ends, thearms 0 the two portions extending toward each other and 5 wheninterlocked forming connecting bars which secure the two portionstogether at opposite sides of the frame, substantially as described.

3. A frame composed of bars having mitered ends abutted together, eachbar having a notch adjacent lts end and also having a groove at the end,a corner fastener for said frame made of a metallic blank bent to form apair of frame-engaging portions disposed at right angles to each otherand havin a flattened corner provided with a hole through it, a plateextending from bar to bar across the corner, the op osite ends of whichare arranged to enter ut not to bottom in the notches in the bars and abolt extending through said comer-fastener, frame and plate,substantially as described.

4. A frame composed of frame-bars having mitered ends, corner fastenersfor the frame, and means engaging the comer-fasteners and frame-bars andmoving the frame-bars toward each other until their mitered ends abutand which also secures the corner fasteners to the frame, substantiallyas described.

5. A frame composed of frame-bars having mitered ends, corner-fastenersfor the frame, and means slidably engaging said frame-bars at eachcorner of the frame, and also engaging the corner-fastener thereat, fordrawing said frame-bars toward each other into the corner-fastener untiltheir mitered ends firmly abut, substantially as described.

6. A frame composed of frame-bars hav- 5 ing mitered ends, each barhaving a notch adjacent its mitered end, corner-fasteners for the frame,a plate extending from bar to bar at each corner of the frame, havingbent ends which enter and slide into the 0 notches in said frame-bars,and means for drawing said plate, and corner-fastener together whichalso draws the frame-bars toward each other into the corner-fasteneruntil their mitered ends firmly abut, substantiall as described.

7. A ame composed of frame-bars having mitered ends, each bar having agroove at its end and a notch in its inner edge near the end,comer-fasteners for the frame, each comprising a pair of frame-engagingportions disposed at right angles to each other and having meansconnecting the extremities of said ortions together on opposite sides ofthe ame, a plate extending from bar to bar at each corner of the framehaving bent ends which enter and slide into the notches in said bars,and a bolt extendin through the corner-fastener, frame, an plate fordrawing the plate and cornerfastener together which also draws theframe-bars toward each other, into the corner-fastener, until theirmitered ends firmly abut, substantially as described.

8. A frame composed of frame-bars having mitered ends, each bar having anotch adjacent its mitered end, corner-fasteners for the frame, a plateextending from bar to bar at each corner of the frame, the ends of whichenter but do not bottom in the notches in the bars, a triangular blockat each corner of the frame, located between the plate and frame-bars,and a bolt at each corner of the frame extending through thecorner-fastener, frame, block and plate, substantially as described.

9. A bracket of the class described formed from a single piece of sheetmetal and comprising a 'body section bent, at right angles mtermediatethe ends and a brace section extending from the body section at an an 1eto its longitudinal plane and bent at rig t angles to the transverseplane of the same. 10. A bracket of the class described formed from asingle piece of sheet metal and comprising a body section bent at rightangles intermediate the ends, a brace sectlon extending from thebodysection at one end at an angle to its longitudinal plane and bent atright angles to the transverse plane of the same, and a lateralprojection at the 1 In testimony 'whereof, I have signed my 15 name tothis specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE W. BOWERS.

Witnesses:

B. J NoYEs, H. DAVIS.

